Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way the cuts to overseas aid funding announced in budget 2010 will be implemented; the details of the projects and programmes that will be affected; the amount by which they will be cut; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7177/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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For 2010, the Government has provided an overall allocation for Official Development Assistance (ODA) of €671 million. Of this total, €536 million will be administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and a further estimated €135 million will come from other Government Departments, together with Ireland's share of the EU Development Cooperation budget.

The allocation involves a relatively small reduction of €25 million on the allocation for ODA in 2009. Based on current projections, it should stabilise Ireland's expenditure on ODA at approximately 0.52% of GNP. This level of funding will ensure that we exceed our commitment as an EU Member State to spend 0.51% of GNP on ODA in 2010. It will also confirm that Ireland remains one of the more generous donors internationally on a per capita basis. This is a significant achievement in the difficult budgetary situation we face. The decision to maintain our funding is also a reflection of the Government's determination, supported by the Irish people, to help those in the world who are most in need.

The process of allocating expenditure in detail across the aid programme, within Vote 29 of the Department of Foreign Affairs, is now under way. The allocations will be included in the Revised Estimate Volume, to be published by the Department of Finance at the end of February. As in previous years, the primary focus on the programme will be on the reduction of global poverty and hunger and the promotion of sustainable development by addressing the fundamental human needs of food security, basic education, primary health care and access to a safe water supply.

I expect that allocations to our nine priority countries this year will be broadly in line with the 2009 allocations. In 2010, the fight against global hunger will continue to be a programme priority and we estimate that we will spend up to 20% of the total allocation on actions to alleviate and eradicate hunger. We will also maintain the Government's committee to spending at least €100 million on tackling HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases.

The Irish Aid programme is internationally recognised for its strong support to Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs). In 2010, we will continue to support development NGOs and Missionary Organisations and will provide in excess of €100 million to their development efforts.

The Government is determined that our aid programme will maintain a sharp focus on poverty reduction, concentrating on a limited number of very poor, mainly African, countries. In the current difficult economic environment, we will work to ensure that we continue to deliver the programme so that it has maximum impact and is rigorously focused on achieving clear results for the lives of the poor and the hungry.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the drift towards the militarisation of aid in the European development discourse. [7155/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the concerns of the Deputy, but I want to assure him that in my discussions on all aspects of development with my EU colleagues, there has been no drift towards the militarisation of aid. The European Union, through the Member States and the European Commission, is the largest provider of development aid internationally, providing over half of all Official Development Assistance worldwide. The overarching goal of the European Union's development policy is the eradication of poverty in a sustainable way, in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted by international leaders in 2000. Ireland plays a strong role in the formulation of EU development policy, and, together with other EU partners, we have ensured that the focus on hunger and poverty is maintained. This will be confirmed when the EU plays a leading role at the summit to review progress towards the MDGs at the UN in New York in September.

Insecurity and conflict, globally and in developing countries, remain among the most significant obstacles to the reduction of poverty. It is estimated, for example, that fifteen of the twenty countries with the highest under-five mortality rates are experiencing conflict related emergencies; 50% of children not attending school live in countries affected by conflict; the cost of conflict in Africa between 1990 and 2005 is believed to be equivalent to total international aid in the same period. At the same time, poverty, and poor governance are recognised as contributing factors to conflict and insecurity.

It is essential, therefore, that peace and security are at the heart of the EU's development policy. The European Security Strategy and the EU Consensus on Development acknowledge that there cannot be sustainable development without security, nor can there be sustainable peace without development.

Within its development assistance programmes the EU supports conflict resolution and prevention through negotiations, demobilisation, and demilitarisation. In post-conflict states, the EU supports disarmament and arms-control measures in the framework of the UN Conference on Disarmament. EU development assistance also supports the rule of law, good policing, civil administration and civil protection. The European Union has undertaken a number of steps to improve coherence in security and development policies, through the adoption of Council Conclusions on Security and Development in 2007, the establishment of the Africa-EU Peace and Security Partnership, and improved cooperation between security and development bodies in the Council, the Commission and the Member States.

The EU and the Member States recognise the different roles and mandates of humanitarian, development and military bodies. We and our EU partners remain determined to ensure that, despite the increasing complexity of global development challenges, the impartiality, neutrality and independence of humanitarian and development action will be maintained.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the impact of the global recession, climate change, the energy and food crisis has disproportionately impacted on developing countries; his assessment of Ireland's role, with partner countries helping manage such impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7169/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that the already difficult circumstances faced by the world's poorest people are being exacerbated by global challenges, including economic recession, climate change, and serious fluctuations in food and energy prices. The poorest populations are inevitably the least well equipped to cope with these multiple development challenges, as a direct result of their low level of development, particularly in the key area of basic social services. These are the very people that Ireland seeks to help, through the Government's aid programme, which focuses sharply on the fight against hunger and poverty in some of the poorest countries in Africa.

The eradication of hunger is a cornerstone of Ireland's aid programme. We are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Government's Hunger Task Force, which reported in 2008. Through the aid programme, Ireland is focusing in particular on maternal and infant under-nutrition and supporting smallholder farmers, especially women, to intensify their agricultural productivity by improving their access to inputs, advice and infrastructure. We also support Non-Governmental Organisations working with poor farmers to increase their productivity. Irish Aid provides substantial funding for agricultural research to ensure that top quality agricultural science will benefit the poor. We support initiatives to improve poor smallholder farmers' access to research and ensure that such research meets their needs.

We also recognise the need to focus more effectively on helping developing countries to cope with the devastating effects of climate change. At the Copenhagen Summit in December last, the Taoiseach stated that Ireland will contribute up to €100 million to support the climate change needs of developing countries over the three-year period 2010-2012. In cooperation with our international partners, Ireland's support will be used to increase poor people's ability to deal with the effects of climate change and to secure clean, reliable sources of energy.

We are also working to ensure that the complexity of global development challenges is addressed to maximum effect through our bilateral aid programmes in Africa and elsewhere. For instance, in Ethiopia we are supporting a productive safety nets programme, through which millions of the poorest people receive support and engage in activities that increase their ability to cope with climate change, such as through tree planting, soil conservation and water harvesting. In Malawi, we are supporting local authorities to improve their disaster risk preparedness, putting in place plans and resources to ensure that they can respond to the increasing incidence of adverse weather events such as flooding and storms.

Over the past year, aid budgets in all developed countries have been under pressure as a direct result of the international economic crisis which has increased the burden of need on developing countries. In these circumstances, it is all the more important for international aid donors to redouble their efforts to make aid more effective, to target their assistance more effectively on the poorest countries and communities and to focus more clearly on key priority areas of need. These will be important themes at the major international summit to be held at the UN in New York in September 2010 to review progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.